Geisinger ConvenientCare Offering COVID-19 Tests for Travelers Planning to travel and need to have a COVID-19 test before you go? Geisinger is offering COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for those aged 12 months and older at 18 ConvenientCare walk-in clinics throughout central and northeast Pennsylvania. Travel tests are offered for a self-pay fee of $140. To get a test, you must have legal identification, such as a driver’s license, and anyone between age 12 months and 17 years old must have a parent or legal guardian with them. If your child is younger than 12 months, contact your pediatrician for advice on testing. Results will be available within 24 hours through myGeisinger. You don’t need an appointment for a travel test at ConvenientCare, but you can save your spot in line to be seen at a clinic by visiting geisinger.org/urgent. As travel requirements vary from destination to destination, make sure you’re tested at the right time before departing. Find more information about COVID-19 travel tests here.
Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center Celebrates 40th Anniversary In 1981, three local hospitals merged to create one hospital that would modernize the delivery of health care in northeastern Pennsylvania. In 2021, that hospital, Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, is celebrating four decades of dedicated service to the community. Originally NPW Medical Center, a consolidation of Nanticoke, Pittston and Wyoming Valley hospitals, the health care facility was renamed Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center shortly after opening, as Geisinger joined the collaboration after Nanticoke’s withdrawal. What began as a standalone community hospital on East Mountain is now a regional medical center and destination for care with a mission to make better health easier for patients and members in Luzerne County and beyond. Recently, Geisinger Wyoming Valley received 5-Star status from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), the highest quality and patient safety score bestowed by the organization, putting the medical center among the top 14 percent of hospitals in the country. “As the only CMS 5-Star hospital in northeastern Pennsylvania, we are proud to provide care of unsurpassed quality to residents of the region,” said Karlyn Paglia, M.D., chief medical officer at Geisinger Wyoming Valley. “With a full spectrum of services available to our patients and members, we look forward to caring for our community for many more years to come.” Complemented by a network of primary care and outpatient specialty clinics that provide world-class care close to home for residents of the region, Geisinger Wyoming Valley is as community-focused as ever, continually building upon and improving programs and services for northeastern Pennsylvanians. In 1992, the hospital added the Frank M. and Dorothea Henry Cancer Center, which is now home to a comprehensive team of fellowship-trained cancer specialists and advanced treatment options like CyberKnife targeted radiation therapy, which was only previously available in major metropolitan areas like Philadelphia and New York. An $80 million renovation of Geisinger Wyoming Valley and the Henry Cancer Center began in spring 2020, which will double the center’s capacity for infusion services, create an 18-bed inpatient unit for treatment of complex blood cancers, and make more appointments available to patients. In 2001, Geisinger Wyoming Valley established the Richard and Marion Pearsall Heart Hospital, which is recognized by the American Heart Association for its ability to treat the most severe heart attacks and offers advanced treatment in cardiology, electrophysiology and cardiac surgery. In 2008, the then-new Critical Care Building became home to the Emergency Department and Level II Trauma Center. And in 2011, the Tambur Family Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) opened. Still the only NICU in Luzerne County, the Level III unit cares for infants as young as 28 weeks gestation. Throughout the decades, program expansions and advancements in care have been designed to offer everything a patient might need in northeastern Pennsylvania. Those strides have continued in recent years. Since April 2019, Geisinger Wyoming Valley has received Magnet® Recognition, the highest national honor for nursing excellence, and become a Comprehensive Stroke Center, a hospital capable of treating the most complex types of stokes and neurovascular complications. The stroke program is the most advanced in the region, even treating patients who are flown in from New York. The medical center’s CMS 5-Star ranking is the latest in these quality-of-care achievements and is a testament to the hard work providers put in daily to care for their friends and neighbors. Noreen Diaco took her first full-time job at NPW in July 1981, and 40 years later, she’s celebrating her work anniversary along with Geisinger Wyoming Valley. Now an executive assistant to Dr. Paglia and other leaders, she remembers her experience as one of strong community. “I grew up with Geisinger Wyoming Valley,” Diaco said. “The people I’ve met and worked with have become family to me. Through the 40 years, I have watched NPW change names and develop from a small-town hospital to a well-known institution. Through all the changes, the small-town, personalized service can still be felt.”
Geisinger Welcomes New Chair of Cardiology Specialty-trained cardiologist accepts role as vice chair of Heart Institute George Ruiz, M.D., a seasoned clinical cardiologist and proven leader, has joined Geisinger as chair of Cardiology and vice chair of the Geisinger Heart Institute. As counterpart to John Conte, M.D., chair of Cardiothoracic Surgery and vice chair of the Heart Institute, Dr. Ruiz rounds out institute leadership under Alfred Casale, M.D., chief medical officer of surgical services and chair of the Heart Institute at Geisinger. With more than 20 years of clinical experience, Dr. Ruiz cares for adult cardiology and adult congenital heart disease patients in central and northeastern Pennsylvania in addition to serving in his leadership roles. A bilingual physician, Dr. Ruiz has treated and organized outreach to the Spanish-speaking community for more than two decades. Dr. Ruiz specializes in clinical cardiology with a subspecialty in adult congenital heart disease and pulmonary hypertension, and he has extensive experience in mechanical circulatory support and adult heart failure. As a leader, he focuses on improving quality of care within complex, progressive service programs. Dr. Ruiz earned his medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University in the Bronx, New York. He completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowships in cardiovascular medicine and adult congenital heart disease at Harvard Medical School’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Before coming to Geisinger, Dr. Ruiz held academic and clinical leadership roles, including instructor of Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, director of Advanced Cardiac Support, Pulmonary Hypertension and Advanced Heart Failure at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C., and chief of Cardiology at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital and Harbor Hospital in Baltimore. He also served as a White House Fellow and special assistant to United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Nicholson from 2005 to 2006 and consultant to Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Gordon Mansfield from 2007 to 2008. Dr. Ruiz is board certified in cardiology, advanced heart failure, and adult congenital heart disease, and he is fluent in English and Spanish.
Geisinger Continuing Walk-In COVID-19 Vaccines this Week Geisinger continues to offer walk-in COVID-19 vaccine events this week at its four vaccine centers. Walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations will be available: Thursday, June 10, at the Geisinger Jersey Shore Hospital Vaccine Center, 116 Kerr Ave., Jersey Shore, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.Friday, June 11, at the Geisinger CenterPoint Vaccine Center, 300 Keystone Ave., Pittston, from 9 to 11:30 a.m.Friday, June 11, at the Geisinger Hughes Center Vaccine Center, 9 Stearns Lane, Danville, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.Saturday, June 12, at the Geisinger Lewistown Hospital Vaccine Center, 400 Highland Ave. Ext., Lewistown, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Geisinger is offering the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at all locations, which is a two-dose vaccine administered 21 days apart. Walk-in vaccines are available to anyone age 12 and over, but those under 18 years old must have a parent or legal guardian with them to receive their vaccine doses. The vaccine centers are staffed with pediatric teams, including pediatricians, to answer any questions and assist with the vaccinations. Geisinger continues to offer COVID-19 vaccines by appointment at its four vaccine centers, and those can be made through myGeisinger or by calling 570-284-3657. To check on additional walk-in vaccine days and times, and for more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit geisinger.org/COVIDVax.
Geisinger Runner-Up in National AI Health Outcomes Challenge Geisinger has been named runner-up out of more than 300 entries in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Artificial Intelligence Health Outcomes Challenge. Geisinger partnered with Medial EarlySign, a leader in machine learning-based solutions to aid in early detection and prevention of high-burden diseases, to use artificial intelligence (AI) to predict unplanned hospital admissions, readmissions occurring soon after hospital discharge, healthcare-associated complications, and mortality. The two entities collaborated to develop models that predict the risk of these outcomes using Medicare administrative claims data and created novel visualizations to explain the results in a clinician-friendly manner, a key component of AI implementation. “We are honored to be recognized as a national leader in using artificial intelligence to improve health outcomes,” said David Vawdrey, Geisinger’s chief data informatics officer. “The opportunity to participate in the CMS competition has significantly broadened our capabilities to design and implement predictive models, which will ultimately help prevent unnecessary hospitalizations and complications and reduce healthcare costs.” Geisinger and EarlySign’s shared vision of innovation and their collective focus on patient-centered care garnered recognition by CMS for “consistent strong performance across all competition elements while generating the best prediction accuracy results.” Their ability to successfully communicate predictions to clinicians, known as AI explainability, was a key factor in their selection as runner-up. “This achievement demonstrates the synergistic relationship Geisinger and EarlySign have in the journey to provide better care for patients,” said Ori Geva, co-founder and chief executive officer of Medial EarlySign. “This recognition is another validation that successful clinical AI solutions require deep understanding of clinical workflow, and expertise in clinical machine learning and clinical data.” The CMS AI Health Outcomes Challenge launched in 2019 with more than 300 entities proposing AI solutions for predicting patient health outcomes. Submissions aimed to forecast a variety of outcomes, including unplanned admissions related to heart failure, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and various other high-risk conditions; and adverse events such as hospital-acquired infections, sepsis, and respiratory failure. Geisinger was chosen as one of seven finalists in November 2020. To select the winner and runner-up, CMS conducted a rigorous evaluation process, supported by a team of AI scientists. Clinicians from the American Academy of Family Physicians, a CMS partner in the AI Challenge, reviewed and scored the models’ explainability. Submissions were reviewed and winners selected by a panel of CMS senior leadership. For more information on Geisinger’s work with artificial intelligence and machine learning, visit geisinger.org/innovation-steele-institute/innovative-partners/ai-and-deep-learning-lab.
Geisinger Surgeon Completes 200th Robotic Assisted Pediatric Spine Surgery As of May 2021, Geisinger’s Dr. Meagan Fernandez has performed more than 200 robotic-assisted pediatric spine surgeries at the Pennsylvania-based Geisinger Musculoskeletal Institute. Geisinger’s Musculoskeletal Institute is the only pediatric hospital in Pennsylvania using robotic assisted technology for pediatric spine surgery. Robotic-assisted spine surgery has already been used in adults. But those surgeries are largely focused in the lumbar spine, where the robot guides the surgeon in placing a small number of screws. In pediatric surgeries, the surgeon covers a much larger area with significantly more screws. Dr. Fernandez specializes in treating pediatric sports injuries, ACL reconstruction and meniscus injuries, fractures and traumatic injuries, and scoliosis. For her pediatric spine surgeries, she uses the Medtronic Renaissance™ system, the first robotic spine assist technology used in Pennsylvania to treat pediatric patients with scoliosis that requires surgery. Renaissance™ is designed to improve the safety and accuracy of implant placement in spine surgery. A certified child life specialist accompanies Dr. Fernandez during clinic to help young patients cope using play therapy and activities. The child life team also helps children understand why they are getting certain tests and can answer questions about the equipment. Dr. Fernandez joined Geisinger in 2011 and is a 2005 graduate of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed an orthopedic surgery residency in 2010 at UPMC Pinnacle in Harrisburg and a pediatric orthopedic surgery fellowship in 2011 at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta – Scottish Rite Hospital in Atlanta. Dr. Fernandez is a member of professional organizations including the Scoliosis Research Society, Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North American, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association.
Geisinger Continuing Walk-In COVID-19 Vaccines this Week Geisinger continues to make it easier to get a COVID-19 vaccine by offering walk-in vaccine events this week at its four vaccine centers. Walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations will be available: Thursday, June 3, at the Geisinger Jersey Shore Hospital Vaccine Center, 116 Kerr Ave., Jersey Shore, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Friday, June 4, at the Geisinger CenterPoint Vaccine Center, 300 Keystone Ave., Pittston, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Saturday, June 5, at the Geisinger Hughes Center Vaccine Center, 9 Stearns Lane, Danville, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Saturday, June 5, at the Geisinger Lewistown Hospital Vaccine Center, 400 Highland Ave. Ext., Lewistown, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Geisinger is offering the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at all locations, which is a two-dose vaccine administered 21 days apart. Walk-in vaccines are available to anyone age 12 and over, but those under 18 years old must have a parent or legal guardian with them to receive their vaccine doses. The vaccine centers are staffed with pediatric teams, including pediatricians, to answer any questions and assist with the vaccinations. Geisinger continues to offer COVID-19 vaccines by appointment at its four vaccine centers, and those can be made through myGeisinger or by calling 570-284-3657. To check on additional walk-in vaccine days and times, and for more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit geisinger.org/COVIDVax.
Geisinger Continuing Walk-In COVID-19 Vaccines this Week Geisinger continues to make it easier to get a COVID-19 vaccine by offering walk-in vaccine events this week at its four vaccine centers. Walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations will be available: Wednesday, May 26, at the Geisinger Hughes Center Vaccine Center, 9 Stearns Lane, Danville, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.Wednesday, May 26, and Thursday, May 27, at the Geisinger Jersey Shore Hospital Vaccine Center, 116 Kerr Ave., Jersey Shore, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Friday, May 28, at the Geisinger CenterPoint Vaccine Center, 300 Keystone Ave., Pittston, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Saturday, May 29, at the Geisinger Lewistown Hospital Vaccine Center, 400 Highland Ave. Ext., Lewistown, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Geisinger is offering the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at all locations, which is a two-dose vaccine administered 21 days apart. Walk-in vaccines are available to anyone age 12 and over, but those under 18 years old must have a parent or legal guardian with them to receive their vaccine doses. The vaccine centers are staffed with pediatric teams, including pediatricians, to answer any questions and assist with the vaccinations. Geisinger continues to offer COVID-19 vaccines by appointment at its four vaccine centers, and those can be made through myGeisinger or by calling 570-284-3657. To check on additional walk-in vaccine days and times, and for more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit geisinger.org/COVIDVax.
Geisinger Orthopaedic Surgeon Given Pennsylvania Medical Society’s Highest Honor John H. Doherty Jr., M.D., an orthopaedic surgeon who practices at Geisinger Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine in Scranton, was named the 2021 recipient of the Pennsylvania Medical Society’s (PAMED) Distinguished Service Award. The Distinguished Service Award is considered the highest honor a member can receive from PAMED. Its first recipient in 1956 was Jonas E. Salk, M.D., who was recognized for his achievements in developing the anti-polio vaccine. A Lackawanna County resident, Dr. Doherty has been a practicing orthopaedic surgeon in Scranton since 1980. Before joining Geisinger in January of 2018, he was a partner in Professional Orthopaedic Associates Ltd. Over his career, he has cared for thousands of patients and their families. “We’re incredibly proud of Dr. Doherty. He is a valuable member of the Geisinger family, and this award reiterates that further. Dr. Doherty is the perfect example of service above self. He never turns away anyone who needs his help. His complete dedication to his practice and to the community is admirable. We celebrate his success and are honored to be associated with him,” said Michael Suk, M.D., chair of Geisinger’s Musculoskeletal Institute. Dr. Doherty is a beloved figure in the Scranton community. For more than 30 years, he’s made quarterly house calls to St. Joseph’s Center so the residents don’t have to make a trip by van to be seen in the office. Dr. Doherty has also served on and volunteered for multiple local nonprofit organizations, including helping to build and maintain a hospital in Haiti. Since 2010, Dr. Doherty has worked in collaboration with Fr. Rick Frechette, an American priest who is also a physician, to build and maintain a state-of-the-art operating room for the people of Port-au-Prince. To that end, he visits the island every year and works tirelessly to supply the hospital and bring patients to America when the care they need is not available in Haiti.
Geisinger CenterPoint Offering Walk-In COVID-19 Vaccines Thursday and Friday Geisinger continues to make it easier to get a COVID-19 vaccine by offering walk-in vaccine events on Thursday, May 20, and Friday, May 21, at the Geisinger CenterPoint Vaccine Center in Jenkins Township. Walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations will be available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. Geisinger is offering the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which is a two-dose vaccine administered 21 days apart. Walk-in vaccines are available to anyone age 12 and over, but those under 18 years old must have a parent or legal guardian with them to receive their vaccine doses. The vaccine center is staffed with pediatric teams, including pediatricians, to answer any questions and assist with the vaccinations. Geisinger continues to offer COVID-19 vaccines by appointment at its four vaccine centers, and those can be made through myGeisinger or by calling 570-284-3657. More information about the COVID-19 vaccine, including information for parents of newly eligible children, is available at geisinger.org/COVIDVax.
